What to do when you get an "Over Quota" message
What does "over quota" mean?
Your IMAP e-mail messages and attachments are stored on a central server that
is secure and periodically backed up for your convenience. When you get a message
that you are "over quota," it means that your mail and attachments take up more
than
200mb on the server. This space allowance includes files used in
folders. Over quota messages are automatically generated and sent each morning.
If you get an over quota message, take
immediate action and remove old
mail and attachments --
you won't be able to receive any other new messages
until you do.
What happens to my incoming mail, while I'm "over quota"?
Once you go over quota, any new messages sent to you will be routed to a special
queue. The system will attempt to deliver these messages to you for 10 days.
After that, these messages will be bounced back to the sender. You will not
receive these new messages until you have reduced your e-mail to under 200mb.
How can I check to see how much space I'm using?
Check your space usage by visiting
http://www.musc.edu/econtrol/
periodically to avoid going over-quota and keep your mail under control. Login
to this page with your MNA.
Web-based solution
Here's a solution that will help you remove old mail and attachments no matter
which IMAP e-mail client you currently use:
- Open your web browser (Netscape or IE)
- Go to the website https://webmail.musc.edu
- Login using your MNA userid and password
- Click the checkbox next to all the messages you want to delete
- Click "Delete" at the bottom of the website window
- Click "Empty Trash" at the top right of the website window
- Click "Logout" on the left (blue background) menubar
This is also a handy way to tell if you have a lot of deleted but not removed
messages. If you see many messages with a trash can icon to the left, this means
that you deleted them already but didn't remove them. This not only takes up
server space, but also slows your e-mail delivery considerably.
Is there an automatic setting to delete my old mail?
One way to prevent going over quota in the future is to use "agemail" at
http://www.musc.edu/econtrol
(requires login and password) to automatically remove read mail at chosen intervals.
